Worried this pandemic will never end

[JuneMoonstone]

Just watching Dr John Campell's Coronavirus update on YouTube. He said that the new variant of the virus has implications on herd immunity; that scientists had hoped herd immunity would be reached when about 70 % of people had been infected with covid 19, but with the new variant being so much more contagious, we may now need about 80% of people to be immune, in order to reach herd immunity. As a result the pandemic could go on longer as it'll take longer in order to reach this herd immunity. I honestly don't know how much more I can take of this horrendous situation. There is no end in sight. Just when there seemed to a tiny glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, the news of this new variant has snatched it away. I honestly believe this pandemic will never ever end and even when we think we've got it under control, some new mutant strain will crop up and we all get thrown right back to square 1. It seems like life will just be totally shit from now on and it breaks my heart, especially for my 5 year old daughter and all other children and young people. I'm sorry to be so negative but I am so utterly low and depressed and the news just gets worse and worse.

@TroubadorinTrouble

I agree that the medical end might come before the social end on this one. The level of hysteria is palpable, I’m not sure how it can be quenched.

I agree. It's out of control, and the Government keeps stoking the fire whipping up more frenzy. The media of course are lapping it up. But, things can change very quickly. An awful lot of people are on their last nerve.

I totally agree about the hysteria. With social media, the Internet, the constant news coverage, the facts and figures and modelling predictions, that makes this pandemic very different to previous pandemics and had a massive impact on society. Where I live, people are scared and do their best to avoid contact others. It makes the loneliness so much harder. I do wonder as a society how we can overcome the social conditioning that has been happening over the last 9 months and will continue. It also deeply saddens me to think of a future without theatres, cinemas, pubs and so on. What a miserable existence, but hey ho, we still will have Zoom and Tic Toc so a lot of people will be happy about that.

@JuneMoonstone

I totally agree about the hysteria. With social media, the Internet, the constant news coverage, the facts and figures and modelling predictions, that makes this pandemic very different to previous pandemics and had a massive impact on society. Where I live, people are scared and do their best to avoid contact others. It makes the loneliness so much harder. I do wonder as a society how we can overcome the social conditioning that has been happening over the last 9 months and will continue. It also deeply saddens me to think of a future without theatres, cinemas, pubs and so on. What a miserable existence, but hey ho, we still will have Zoom and Tic Toc so a lot of people will be happy about that.

I won’t do zoom a moment longer than I have to. I think we’ll bounce quickly when we can. We are more like unsprung springs than permanently changed I reckon.

Thanks MarshaBradyo I needed to hear that. I hate living my life through a computer screen and I hate it when people try to minimise the loneliness people feel by saying, 'it's OK, you can still keep in contact with people virtually'. I know they're trying to be helpful but no thanks, it's not for me.

[quote Loshad]@celan schools shut during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, the existence or otherwise of the internet does not effect the behaviour of viruses[/quote]
Some schools might have shut, but an awful lot of others didn't. My DC's school didn't (I know this for an absolute fact: they had a lot of pupils off sick, but the school didn't shut).

The internet obviously doesn't make the tiniest bit of difference to the behaviour of a virus - but it makes an awful lot of difference to people's responses to the same virus.

Without the internet wouldn't be on MN whipping one another up into a frenzy, for starters. There would be none of the crystal-ball-gazing which takes up so many of the Covid threads. And, as mentioned, nobody would be WFH or online shopping. People would have to carry on going to work unless they were actually ill, and the shops would have to stay open because people would still need to buy stuff.

@JuneMoonstone

Thanks MarshaBradyo I needed to hear that. I hate living my life through a computer screen and I hate it when people try to minimise the loneliness people feel by saying, 'it's OK, you can still keep in contact with people virtually'. I know they're trying to be helpful but no thanks, it's not for me.

It's not for me, either. I loathe it.

Some hope for the future:

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/21/epidemiologist-1918-flu-pandemic-roaring-20s-post-covid

Then, once pandemics end, often there is a period in which people seek out extensive social interaction, and which Christakis predicts will be a second “roaring 20s” just as after the 1918 flu pandemic.

“During epidemics you get increases in religiosity, people become more abstentious, they save money, they get risk averse and we’re seeing all of that now just as we have for hundreds of years during epidemics,” said Christakis.

As well, economies of ancient civilizations collapsed in times of disease.

“Many people seem to think it’s the actions of our government that are causing the economy to slow – that’s false,” he said. “It’s the virus that’s causing the economy to slow, because economies collapsed even in ancient times when plagues happened, even when there was no government saying close the schools and close the restaurants.”

This future, Christakis predicts, will not come until society has had time to distribute the vaccine, probably through 2021, and had time to recover from the socioeconomic devastation it has wrought, probably through 2023. But the vision he lays out for 2024 and beyond is one filled with experiences pined for in isolation: packed stadiums, crowded nightclubs and flourishing arts.

“In 2024, all of those [pandemic trends] will be reversed,” he said. “People will relentlessly seek out social interactions.” That could include “sexual licentiousness”, liberal spending, and a “reverse of religiosity”.

I completely think we’ll have a roaring twenties after this.

We’ll have it good and this time we’ll recognise that. Arts, enjoyment, people mixing. Just need to get there!

hang in there, OP. EVERYONE is under stress at the moment and everyone will have some additional stress as well as the pandemic (tell me about it!).

it is shit but we are more than half way through. Most who get it don't die - this in no way reduces how seriously we should take it. Our society will recover and most (sadly not all) of those who get covid also will recover.

do whatever you need to do to get through. Go easy on the news - we're all effectively in lockdown, or should be. Forget Christmas, look at what you have and don't be afraid to lose control occasionally.

winter will end and so will this.

I think you just need to keep positive. When you look around, there's trees and flowers and birds, beautiful sunset etc, etc, regardless of what we are feeling.
It will be over, we just need to keep going until then.

@Waxonwaxoff0

Of course it will end. This isn't the first pandemic, all the others have ended without the scientific and medical knowledge we have today so why wouldn't this one?

It will take a while, it's not even been a year which is pretty short in terms of a pandemic. We just need to be patient.

This. It will end. Previous pandemics ended without the benefit of modern science and medicine (but with social distancing, closures etc.) so we have a massive advantage. The vaccines are arriving and although it won't end next week, we are at the beginning of the end.

Hang in there, I know it's tough, and the next few weeks are likely to be grim, but it will end!

It will end and many people - especially the young - will embrace their freedom.
I predict we’ll have an explosion of creativity and hedonism.

@MarshaBradyo

I completely think we’ll have a roaring twenties after this.

We’ll have it good and this time we’ll recognise that. Arts, enjoyment, people mixing. Just need to get there!

We won't have any money for it so might be stuck with picnics in the park anyway when all the restaurants are closed.

Having said that, astrologers are predicting a new age of Aquarius with a change for good in the world from next year. Let's see!

"Previous pandemics ended without the benefit of modern science and medicine (but with social distancing, closures etc.) so we have a massive advantage."

We have a disadvantage as well with the world being much more interconnected with much more travel.

@JuneMoonstone

I totally agree about the hysteria. With social media, the Internet, the constant news coverage, the facts and figures and modelling predictions, that makes this pandemic very different to previous pandemics and had a massive impact on society. Where I live, people are scared and do their best to avoid contact others. It makes the loneliness so much harder. I do wonder as a society how we can overcome the social conditioning that has been happening over the last 9 months and will continue. It also deeply saddens me to think of a future without theatres, cinemas, pubs and so on. What a miserable existence, but hey ho, we still will have Zoom and Tic Toc so a lot of people will be happy about that.

It won't be a future without theatres, cinemas, and pubs. There is a demand for them so they will exist.

"It's not for me, either. I loathe it."

I think it's better than nothing, but we have to be very clear that it's not the same as real human contact. It's not a natural way to interact at all and it's not healthy to have that as our only form of interaction.

@Gwenhwyfar

"Previous pandemics ended without the benefit of modern science and medicine (but with social distancing, closures etc.) so we have a massive advantage."

We have a disadvantage as well with the world being much more interconnected with much more travel.

Possibly, but the world wasn't unconnected in the past, that's how we ended up with plague, the Spanish flu, etc. in Britain.

Vaccines, modern medical treatments still give us the edge.

We won't have any money for it so might be stuck with picnics in the park anyway when all the restaurants are closed.

Pandemics are generally followed by periods of economic boom, there is no reason why this one won't be.

You seem to be struggling to be optimistic, I'm really sorry about that. It must be hard for you at the moment.

The thing that amazed me reading Journal of the Plague Year was how similar it felt. Even down to obsessing over statistics- they had death numbers for different parishes in London posted up on the church door so you could go and read them and compare.
And yes, they had some wild parties in the years following. Lots of sin

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

The thing that amazed me reading Journal of the Plague Year was how similar it felt. Even down to obsessing over statistics- they had death numbers for different parishes in London posted up on the church door so you could go and read them and compare. And yes, they had some wild parties in the years following. Lots of sin

I've read quite a lot of texts about plague in England; it is remarkable how many similarities there are, even down to people who were furious that theatres were closed, and plague deniers.

‘Where I live, people are scared and do their best to avoid contact others. It makes the loneliness so much harder. ‘

That is really sad. Where I am there is a lot of standing at a safe distance having semi shouted conversations. I am sorry it’s not like that in your area.

It will end. And yes, businesses we love may close, but new ones will open when there's an appetite for it. I doubt many people will want to go to a gig in a dingy bassment bar right now, or be in a crowd of people at a festival. But we will get back to that, because it's what humans seek and need.

Exactly Saskia.
I have said this several times before so apologies for repeating myself but the plague histories are among the most comforting things I have read, for the sense it gives me that we are not alone, this is part of the normal experience of humanity and we will get through it.

When I go to the park I’ve experienced more random conversations with people. A care that people might be alone. The overall mood is kinder. It’s nice to see.

Plus waiting to pass stuff on pavement it’s different but definitely nicer rather than opposite.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel I've found that too. It is comforting to know we are not the first humans to experience something like this, and to see how previous generations coped. And also to see what came after.